The Writer's Block Series
by tuesday's child
Summary: Series of stories (2 so far) tha tI have written to cure my own writer's block. One humor (The Facts of Life) and one dark (Saw You Last Night)
1. The Facts of Life

Author's Note: Hi. This is an "I Have Writer's Block" peice I wrote after watching The Facts of Life...Um, right. Read on, good people. 

Set some time in Season 6 ish, All events after All The Way have not happened except for Buffy working at Doublemeat.

^_^

The bell above the door of the Magic Box at 3 in the afternoon as Dawn Summers entered the shop, bookbag slung over one shoulder. It was a Tuesday, so Buffy was in the back training before her shift at Doublemeat Palace. Xander was working on a broken shelf, Anya was counting the cash in the register, Spike was smoking a cigarette and playing with Chicken's feet, and Willow and Tara were reading at the roung table.

"Hey, Dawnie, how was school?" Willow asked, looking up from the text she was reading from.

"Unbareable." the teen answered, then looked over at the vampire sitting on the counter, "How did you get here? The sun's shining away."

"Sewers. I was bored, came to annoy big sis."

"Can I help?" Dawn asked, dropping her bag on the table.

"No." Buffy replied as she came up from the training room, "Spike, go home."

"Free country." He retorted.

Buffy ignored him and returned her attention to her sister, "How was school?"

"It was horrible. They're forcing us into this class. They call it Family Studies. It's this cheesy version of sex ed. We get to learn the "facts of life" as if we aren't old enough to know already."

Xander smiled from where he was repairing the shelf and said, "Well, you take the good."

Willow giggled, "You take the bad."

"You take them both!" Tara chimed in.

"And there you have the facts of life. The Facts of Life!" They all chorused (minus Spike, Anya, and a completely baffled Dawn) to the tune of the theme song.

"Lost your minds, you all have." Spike muttered, hopping down off the counter, "I'm out of here."

"We won't miss you." Xander muttered, packing up his tools.

"Excuse me, but what just happened?" Dawn asked, still staring at her friends and sister in the wake of the musical moment.

"I believe they were referring to 1980's sitcom The Facts of Life." Anya said helpfully, shutting the register with a *ping*.

Xander smiled at his fiancee proudly and kissed her forehead.

"Right." Dawn rolled her eyes, "I fear all of you."

Buffy ruffled her hair, "Ready to go home? I'll make dinner before I go to work."

"Really? No Doublemeat burgers?'

"No Doublemeat burgers."

As the sisters left, Willow began collecting ingredients off the shelves while humming the TV theme song. As she stepped down off the ladder, two jars slipped from her grip and shattered against the floor. Purple and green vapors converged and from them emerged a large, slimy, tentacle-covered creature.

"There's gonna be troub-llleeee." Xander remarked, and Tara ran to catch up with Buffy.


	2. Saw You Last Night

Author's Note: OK, here is the second "Writer's Block" story. In contrast to The Facts of Life, this one takes place not far after Buffy tells Spike she was in heaven. It has nothing to do with FoL. Instead of humor, this one is sad and dark, and is told from Spike's point of view. 

^_^

_from the back of your big brown eyes  
i knew you'd be gone as soon as you could  
and i hoped you would _  
  
I knew, when I saw her that night, what she was going to do. I could see it in her face, in her eyes, that she was going to end it. Probably would have done it even sooner, too. But I guess we all need to get our affairs in order first. She dropped the nibblet off at the Whelp's, and showed up at my place, looking like one of those hippies Dru liked to feed on so much in the sixties. Strung out, high, and *free*. First thing she said was, "Let's do something." and when I asked her what she meant, she said, "I don't care."

She'd been acting odd ever since they brought her back, but never like this. Never looking like she's just taken a few hits off something strong, not grabbing my arm and dragging me through the graveyard laughing and talking. Then, she was so quiet, and I realized we were at Joyce's grave. And she was crying. I think that's when I figured it out. She was ready to go, she was. She just had to say goodbye to a few people first. Just in case.

_we could see that you weren't yourself  
and the lines on your face did tell  
it's just as well  
you'd never be yourself again_

Surprised me even more when she kissed me. I didn't feel what I thought I would when she finally gave herself to me willingly, and as her lips pressed up to mine, I felt hollow. Maybe because I figured maybe she was doing it because she was pretty sure she wouldn't have to deal with any consequences in the morning. 

She walked back to the crypt with me and said goodbye. Not "Bye, Spike" or "I hate you" or "Goodnight". She said, "Goodbye, Spike. I'll...I'll see you." And I was dead certain. I knew, and I wasn't gonna stop her. Oh, no. I wouldn't do that to her. It wasn't fair to her.

_saw you last night  
dance by the light of the moon  
stars in your eyes  
free from the life that you knew_

So when they found her in the morning, lying so tragically beautiful in her bed, empty bottles on the table, maybe two or three white pills scattered on the floor and a spilled glass of Jack Daniels on the floor, I wasn't shocked. I didn't cry, but I held Dawn and later Willow when they did. I drove to the hospital to pick Dawn up and take her back to my place for the night. And when she couldn't sleep, I let her curl up under my duster and I told her stories even if she wasn't really listening to them.

I hadn't stopped her, and I probably should have. But she wasn't herself anymore. She wasn't Buffy in Buffy's skin. She was a girl who wanted to go back to the place her loved ones had taken her out of trapped on hell in a woman's body.

_you're the magic that holds the sky up from the ground  
you're the breath that blows these cool winds 'round  
trading places with an angel now _

It's been a couple months, now. I watched them lower her casket into the dirt. She had a real funeral this time. Dawn is in LA, Xander and Anya are moving away. Willow and Tara got a place together. I call them by their names now, you might notice. Without her here to annoy, I don't see why I should bother with nicknames. I miss her, but it's no different then when she was alive. I missed her then, too. 

I'll probably leave this hell hole. A new Slayer'll show up, Rupert says. Till then I'm keeping things quiet. But once that new girl pops around, I'm gone. This place is too much anymore. Too much...

_saw you last night  
dance by the light of the moon  
stars in your eyes  
free from the life that you knew  
saw you last night  
stars in your eyes  
smiled in my room   
_  


  


  



End file.
